ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, November 7, 1996 TAG: 9611070024
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
THE SALEM BASEBALL executive resigns after 10 years of improved business.
Salem Avalanche vice president Sam Lazzaro confirmed Wednesday he has resigned, ending a 10-year association with Salem professional baseball.
Lazzaro had been the club's general manager from 1986-95 before becoming vice president. Although that move was deemed a promotion, it removed Lazzaro from the club's day-to-day operation and set the stage for his decision to resign.
Avalanche owner Kelvin Bowles, who had been out of town until Wednesday, said Lazzaro's resignation took effect Oct. 31. Most of the Avalanche staff found out about Lazzaro's decision during a meeting Tuesday.
``I guess the only thing I can say is Sam resigned and we thank him for his years of service,'' said Bowles. ``We wish him well.''
The Avalanche also is losing assistant general manager Dennis Robarge, who is leaving after six years of service to become general manager of Atlanta Dragway, a National Hot Rod Association track in Commerce, Ga. Robarge's departure has been in the works for several months and is unrelated to Lazzaro's decision to resign.
Lazzaro's resignation should end talk of any front-office friction that might have existed since Bowles removed him as general manager and replaced him with Dave Oster. It was widely known Lazzaro was unhappy in his new role, which made him primarily responsible for business and finance operations.
``It just didn't work out for him,'' said one club source. ``It was kind of tough on everybody.''
Another club source said Oster was prepared to resign before Lazzaro reached his decision. Lazzaro declined to comment, except to confirm his resignation and speak briefly about his tenure.
``It was a great run,'' said Lazzaro. ``I had 11 [seasons] there. I appreciate the opportunities provided to me.''
Lazzaro, Bowles and Oster would not discuss any alleged front-office rift.
``I wouldn't speculate on anything,'' Bowles said. ``I wouldn't even try to guess. I do know that Dave Oster is one of the nicest people I've ever been around. Sam is one of the most organized. He keeps impeccable records. In business, he always knows what's going on.
``In baseball, sometimes, things just change. I've been in the baseball business long enough to know that. It will be business as usual in the future.''
Oster was named the Carolina League's 1996 Executive of the Year after the Avalanche attracted a franchise-record 173,703 fans in the first full season at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium. However, the average of 2,632 fans per game was less than half-capacity at the $10 million ballpark. He also was instrumental in getting the CBS and ABC television networks to send camera crews to Salem to do reports on the stadium's biggest novelty - a hot tub that sat just beyond the right-field line.
Lazzaro was no stranger to awards and records, either. Salem ballclubs (the Redbirds, Pirates and Avalanche) posted attendance gains in nine of Lazzaro's 10 seasons as general manager and set eight attendance records, including a then-record 153,575 fans in 1994 when the team played at cozy Municipal Field.
He was named the executive of the year in both the Carolina League and the New York-Penn League, where he worked as general manager of the Elmira (N.Y.) club from 1983-85.
Lazzaro came to Salem in 1980 as the director of marketing for the Salem Raiders minor-league hockey team. He moved to Elmira, then returned after Bowles bought the Salem Redbirds following the 1985 season.
Lazzaro was one of the founding members of the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame and he said he plans to stay on the Hall's board of directors. His wife, Sue, still is the club's director of merchandising.
Oster, too, wanted to divert any attention from a possible rift and focus on the future of the ballclub, which may begin its season-ticket drive before Christmas.
``I like Sam,'' said Oster. ``Sam spent a lot of years here and did a lot of great things for the baseball team. The new stadium is here because of him and a lot of others who worked here.''
LENGTH: Medium: 78 linesby CNB